42. Hymns to the Supreme Being: In Imitation of the Eastern Songs. 8vo. Price 35. 6d. in Boards. Nichols. IN language only can thefe Hymns be properly styled "Imitations of the Eaftern Songs," as in knowledge and fentiment they are incomparably fuperior. The light of the Gospel fhines throughout, and the glory of God is exalted in proportion to modern Eu ropean difcoveries in philofophy. We will tranfcribe the fifth, not as one of the beft, but as one which is not too long for the purpose of felection. 1. HOW admirable are the works of God! how excellent the operations of his hands! 2. I confidered plants, and animals; four-footed beafts, and creeping things. 3. In all was manifefted infinite wifdom, and an excellent workmanship, that I could not comprehend. 4. Yet fo much was made known unto me, as declared the power and goodness of God; and the continued agency of the Great Creator, and Lord of all things. 5. I beheld the caterpillar iffung from its egg, on the very plant needful for its fupport: 6. For there the parent-fly had placed it, that it might have whereon to feed. 7. It enjoys the repaft, it weaveth its web, and, preparing for its end, buildeth itself a rich tomb. 8. It refteth from its labours; and · fleepeth the fleep of death. 9. At the appointed time it is raifed again, and the Great Creator of all things giveth it a new life *. 10. It leaveth its afhes in the tomb, and afcends, with a more beauteous form, into the regions of the air. 11. How glorious are its wings! and its limbs how delicate! 12. It is covered with a rich plumage; and furnished with myriads of eyes, to behold all around +. • This fimilitude is finely introduced, and made use of as an argument, with many others, by Bishop Pearfon, in his excellent Book on the Creed; and fill deferves to be used as fuch, although that curious obferver of nature, M. Swammerdam, has proved that the worm does not abfolutely perish in the aurelia. + The difcoveries of the microfcope have informed us, that the eyes of flies confiit each of a moft prodigious number of fmall corneas, fet in an hemisphere, every one of which appears to have diftinét vifion; and by this means, although flies cannot turn their heads, or 13. With its trunk it surpasseth the art of the chemist; and extracteth from flowers the most delicious sweets. 14. It forfakes the leaf whereon it was firft nourished, rejoicing in the bounty of its Maker. 15. But, at his command, it is mindful of its offspring, and provides for the fafety and fuftenance thereof. 16. With anxious care it seekéth out the plant, which God hath given for its infant worms. 17. Though itself feedeth not thereon, neither careth for the verdant leaves, yet is it led with unerring fearch, and never faileth in its choice. 18. It curiously spreadeth forth its eggs; and, without thought, fulfilleth its appointed task. 19. The Lord, who hath withheld reafon from these, hath given them instinct, a furer guide. 20. What spirit ruleth in them, O Lord, Thou only knoweft; let us behold their operations, and humbly adore. 21. The Bee, juft raised to life, without a teacher skilfully forms her cell. 22. The Sage's art is known to her: fhe has difcovered the moft capacious form, and the best divifion of space. 23. Without scale or compass, she nicely measureth her work, and with great care ftrengtheneth its foundations. 24. She layeth her foundations in the upper part; fhe buildeth downwards, even unto the ground; and exquifitely finisheth her work; surpaffing the art of man. 25. The Bird, fluttering from its parental neft, needs no inftruction to fulfil her tafk. 26. Who taught her to rear an habitation for her young? 27. To build with unerring skill; move their eyes, yet they fee almost all around them at once. One of their eyes, through a microscope, appears, from this vaft number of corneas, like a rich network; and its beauty is hardly to be conceived by thofe who have not feen it. All flies, as well as the bee, are furnifhed with a trunk or fucker, with which thofe who feed on flowers extract their rich juice for fuftenance, though they do not lay up honey. S All the cells in an honey-comb are hexagons, which mathematicians have found to be the only regular figures, except fquares and triangles, which will exactly fill up fpace, and which, at the fame time, are much more capacious than either of the latter. and and exactly to form the structure peculiar to her kind? 28. Who informed her that the should lay her eggs; and that she should want a neft to preferve them from deftruction? 29. Who told her its proportion and extent? and the number of her young that fhould have life? 30. Who enabled her to know times and feasons, and to provide that her work might be finished ere the should bring forth? 31. Who counfelled her to forbear her wonted flights; and patiently to fit brooding on her young? 32. O, that I had understanding to know the ways of God! 33. That I might learn to praise my Maker; and become wife by the inftruction around me! 34. Wilt not Thou, O Lord, who raifeft the caterpillar from its tomb, raife man alfo from the duft of death? 35. Wilt not Thou, who teachest the fowls of the air to fulfil their appointed talk, guide the fons of men, by Thy Spirit, to do Thy will? 36. Wilt not Thou, who fo plentifully pourelt forth bleffings upon all Thy creatures, appoint good things for those that fear Thy Name? 37. I know, O Lord, that Thou art good; and therefore doth my heart give thanks unto Thee. 38. O praise the God of Heaven, whofe mercy is extended over all. 39. Let every-thing that hath breath praise him; and let man, the priest of the creation, offer up a facrifice of thanksgiving unto the Moft Highest. 40. Even a facrifice accepted through the mediation of the Redeemer; by whom, though we be compaffed with infirmities, we have accefs unto the living God. 43. Love and Madness. A Story too true. In a Series of Letters between Parties whofe Names would perhaps be mentioned, were they lefs known, or less lamented. 8v9. 2s. 6d. Kearfly. IN this age of literary fraud we are not furprised that a tale fo bloody fhould give rife to a fuppofitious corre fpondence. The parties, who are the late unhappy Mr. Hackman and Mifs Ray, it is needles to add, never penned a line of thefe 65 letters, except the 57th, which was printed in the Seffions-Paper. Yet, granting the imposition, and confidering only their contents, they have fome intrinfic merit. In particular, the longest and most curious (the 41ft) contains many anecdotes of Chatterton hitherto unknown; a letter concerning him from his fifter, Mrs. Newton *, dated September 22, 1770; fome original poems by him, and eight letters to his mother and fifter: and the whole tends to prove that he indifputably wrote all Rowley's poems. We are not furprized that the forger of these letters should endeavour to extenuate the forgeries of Chatterton. On Mr. Catcott the pewterer, and Mr. Barrett the furgeon, Chatterton's Bristol friends, this writer reflects feverely. In confequence (fays he) of poems which Chatterton brought to light, which I firmly believe him to have written, his mother acknowledges to have received the immense sum of five guineas by the hands of Mr. Catcott; and Mr. Barrett, without fee or reward, cured the whitlowed finger of the fifter. Talk no more of the neglect of genius in any age or country, when, in this age and country, Rowley's poems have produced fuch fortunes to the author and his family. Should I ever appear in print on this fubject, I would call upon the gentlemen concerned in this transaction to ftate their accounts." In a note on the falfhood of "the infinuations thrown out against the elegant writer at Strawberry-Hill," we are told, “that even Mr. Walpole cannot help regretting that he was not better acquainted with Chatterton's fierce and untameable spirit, his confciousness of fuperior abilities, his inattention to worldly difcretion, his fcorn of owing fubfiftence or reputation to any thing but the ebullitions of his own genius." (A Letter to the Editor of Chatterton's Mifcellanies, printed at StrawberryHill, 1779.) Even he cannot help lamenting that he did not "contribute to rescue fuch a fpirit from itself, its worst enemy." Still this patron of Offian, and rejecter of Chatterton, does not hesitate to affirm, rather barfbly, that "all of the house of forgery are relations; and that, though it be just to Chatterton's memory to fay his poverty never made him claim "This and his laft letter to his mother are depofited in the hands of Mr. Kearfly. The others are in the poffeffion of his mother or fifter, who keep little day-schools at Bristol." kindred kindred with the richest or moft enTiching branches, yet that his ingenuity in counterfeiting ftyles, and, he (Mr.W.) believes, hands, might eafily have led him to thofe more facile imitations of profe promiffory notes." To this our author adds a fhrewd argumentum ad bominem fuggefted by the pretended antiquity of the Cafile" of Otranta, "not a boy's production," which the honourable author flattered himself would appear excufable.” From this forgery, he adds, Chatterton's might poffibly originate; " for, when he ridicules Mr. W. in the ftory of "Harry Wildfire," he calls him Baron Otranto. And, in the February before C.'s deceit began, Mr. W. publifhed" Hiftoric Doubts on the Life and Reign of Richard II." which C. perhaps confidered as a bolder attempt than the creation of Rowley." Another circumftance here mentioned is equally new and painful. "Had Chatterton continued at Briftol only a few weeks longer, had he continued in the world a few days longer, he might have been preferved for, Omy M[artha], I have been affured that the late amiable Dr. Fry, Head of St. John's College, Oxford, went to Bristol the latter end of Auguft, 1770, in order to fearch into, the hiftory of Rowley and Chatterton, and to patronise the latter if he turned out to be the former, or to deferve affiftance :-when, alas! all the intelligence he could pick up about either was, that Chatterton had, within a few days, deftroyed himself." The' fympathy which this writer, whoever he be, expresses on this occafion, the pains he has taken to collect all the particulars of this poor fexton's fon from the perfons with whom he lodged, the coroner, &c. and his parallel between this boy and Milton, do equal credit to his genius and humanity. That this pretended Hackman should think to jurprife and deceive his miftrels (20th February, 1779,) with one of the D. of C.'s letters to Lady G. which the as well as he muft long before have feen in print, is unaccountable. With fome amufing anecdotes this writer has interwoven fo many horrid catastrophes (fimilar to his own) of murders, executions, &c. viz. that of Faldoni and Tereta (fung by Jerningham), Boardingham and his wife at Flamborough, Dr. Dodd's exit (at which he is fuppofed to be pre fent +), Ceppi and Mrs. Knightly, Empfon and Lord Spencer's Maid, of Smith and, his wife in 1733, the Suicide of Jane Dixon a Scotchwoman, Chatterton, &c. &c. that great part of the book refembles an ordinary's account, or a feffions-paper. 44 An Effy on Hiftory: in three Epiftles to Edward Gibbon, Efq; with Notes. By William Hayley, Efq; 4to. Dodfley. 795. 6d. "THIS poetical Effay, announced in our Magazine for April, p. 192, needs1 no other recommendation than the name of the author, and the arguments of each epistle, viz. “I. Introduction. 1 Relation between hiftory and poetry. Decline of the latter. Subject of the prefent poem lightly touched by the ancients. Dionyfius - Lucian. Importance and advantage of hiftory. Its origin fubfequent to that of poetry -difguifed in its infancy by prieftcraft and fuperftition-brought from Egypt into Greece. Scarcity of great hiftorians. Perfect compofition not to be expected. Addrefs to hiftory, and characters of many ancient hiftorians.Herodotus-Thucydides Xenophon -Polybius-Salluit-Livy-Tacitus." Biography Plutarch. Baleful influence of defpotic power-Ammianust Marcellinus.-Anna Comnena. "II.Defects of the monkish historians -our obligations to the best of them.. Contraft between two of the most * fabulous, and two of the most † ratio nal. Indulgence due to writers of the dark ages. Slow progrefs of the human mind. Chivalry. Froiffart. Revival of ancient learning under Leo X. Hiftorians in Italy, Machiavel, Guicciardini, Davila, and Father Paul -in Portugal, Oforius-in Spain, Mariana-in France, Thuanus-Praise of toleration. Voltaire. Addrefs to England. Clarendon, Burnet,Rapin, Hume, Lyttelton. Reafon for not attempting to defcribe any living hiftorian." "III. The fources of the chief defects in hiftory-Vanity-National and private flattery, and her various artsParty- fpirit, fuperftition, and falfe + "The Abbé Reynal," we are alfo told, "and Charles Fox, notwithstanding the rain, beheld the whole from the top of an unfinished houfe," &c. Can this be true? I See vol. for 1778, p. 237. + Geoffry of Monmouth, and William of Malmesbury. philofophy. Character of the accomplished hiftorian. The laws of hiftory-style-importance of the subjectFailure of Knolles from a fubject ill chofen. Danger of dwelling on the diftant and minute parts of a fubject really interefting - Failure of Milton in this particular. The worst defect of an historian a fyftem of tyranny.Inftance in Brady. Want of a general history of England: With for its accomplishment. Ufe and delight of other hiftoriesof Rome. Labour of the hiftorian Cavils against him. Concern for Gibbon's irreligious fpirit-The idle cenfure of his paffion for fame-Defence of that paffion. Conclufion." The elegant Hiftorian of Henry II. is thus characterifed in Epiftle II. "WITH purer fpirit, free from party ftrife, [life, To footh his evening hour of honour'd See candid LYTTELTON at length unfold The deeds of liberty in days of old! Fond of the theme, & narrative with age, He winds the lengthen'd tale thro' many a page; But there the beams of patriot virtue shine; There truth and freedom fanctify the line; And laurels, due to civil wisdom, fhield This noble Neftor of th' hiftoric field." Part of the Apostrophe to Mr. Gibbon in the II1d Epifle is as follows: "BUT O! what foes befet each honour'd name, Advancing in the path of letter'd fame! To stop thy progrefs, and infult thy pen, The fierce Polemic iffues from his den. Think not my verfe means blindly to engage In rafh defence of thy profaner page! Tho' keen her fpirit, her attachment fond, Bafe fervice cannot fuit with friendship's bond; Too firm from duty's facred path to turn, She breathes an honeft figh of deep con cern, And pities Genius, when his wild career Gives faith a wound, or innocence a tear. Humility herself, divinely mild, SublimeReligion's meek and modeft child, Like the dumb fon of Croefus, in the strife, When force affail'd his father's facred life, Breaks filence, and, with filial duty warm, Bids thee revere his parent's hallow'd form." 45. An ODE to the Memory of the Right Rev. Thomas Wilfon, late Lord Bihop of Sodor and Man; by the Rev. W. Tasker, A. B. Author of the Ode to the Warlike Genius of Great Britain, &c. 4to. 15. Printed for the Author. This panegyric, written evidently con amore, will not be thought an exaggeration by those who were acquainted with whom it sele the good old patriarch Rifing above the groffer spheres, Defcendant of the † Palatine, Tho' he drew his ancient blood From the bold undaunted flood That boil'd in Norman William's fiery breaft: The crofier'd Shepherd, unallied To the ftern Conqueror's tyrant pride, With more refin'd and fofter nature blefs'd, Affliction's drooping fons carefs'd, Rais'd up the Children of Despair; Where had pierc'd 'corrofive Care, Where Pain and Penury had fix'd their dart, He o'er the wounds the genial balm be ftow'd, [flow'd, While forth the milk of human kindness An healing stream, warm from his inmost heart! "While Content my path illumes, Far hence, Ambition, ftretch thy plumes! Hence Lucre's bafe defire!" he cries: "But thou, converfing with the Skies, In robes of white, unblemish'd Faith, apLet Angel Piety be near! [pear; And on Monada's rugged land Let Charity complacent ftand, Effential grace of heavenly birth, Pattern of Godlike worth on earth, Her many-colour'd wing unfold, The hivering Pilgrim refcue from the cold, [bold! Bid hunger feed, and modeft want be Oh! teach me thus to imitate the plan Of DEITY himself transform'd to man!" Nor vain his prayer: for, from their bright abode, Cherubic Piety appear'd, And fpotlefs-cinctur'd Faith her forehead rear'd, And lovelieft Charity before him flood: They came, and, on Monada's fea-beat shore, Want of it's fting beguil'd, While pining Hunger § fmil'd, The Chriftian Graces throng'd his dome around, Benevolence her liberal zone unbound, And open'd wide, to all, his hofpitable door. By Thee, O WILSON, check'd, impell'd, His bofom caught the kindred flame; We cannot but fympathife with Mr. Tasker, in tranfcribing the following ftanza, and its accompanying note. "Why fainter glows poetic fire? Why jars with diffonance the lyre? I fee the blush of shame arife, Upon th' ethereal Mufe's cheek; From holy Truth's indignant eyes I fee the flash of anger break.Where were ye, powers angelic! fay, Where from your facred office did ye stray? When Oppreffion's iron rod * Dar'd to afflict the-Man of God? If pure Religion's self must feel The rack of Perfecution's wheel, If woe and fufferings be her dower, Who shall escape the giant hand of power?" 46. The Deferted City. A Poem. 8vo. Printed for the Author. THIS title is unluckily chofen, as it neceffarily reminds us of The Deferted Village, a poem, which differs from this toto cœlo. Witness these harmonious lines: "No ruffian then our artificer ceas'd *. Bales, truffes, cafks, the long-neck'd crane did weigh; [quay. The world's produce o'erfpread our every The Rev. Thomas Wilfon, while curate of Winwick, was tutor to Lord Strange, fon of the Earl of Derby; a very promifing young Nobleman, who died at Lisbon, while on his travels, in the 18 year of his age, in 1699. For his ftrenuous exertions in favour of Church difcipline, the Bishop was fined by an arbitrary Governor, himself in 50l. and his two Vicars-General in 201. each: on refusing to pay this fine, they were fent to the Prison of Castle Rufhin, where they were confined two months, till they appealed to King George I. and his Council, by whofe fentence they were honourably acquitted. A Vicar-General, in the Isle of Man, is an office fimilar to a Bishop's Chancellor in England. * For 'feiz'd,' we fuppofe, as it rhymes to' pleas'd.' EDITOR. The skimming wherries their wings inceffant ply'd When thus Industry spread her bufy wings. Happy land! when Virtue 'dorns your fair.' And this extract : "How pleas'd het was his lafs all new to rig, [brig! That the might with him go to fee the And when return'd, they could but see the play, [ful day: Which always would conclude the mirthCome home, the can of grog was furely fill'd: [was fpill'd. While half perhaps was drank-the reft Such frolicks he would have with Nell and Sue, [with Prue." With Doll, and Bet, and Nan-if not None of thefe trulls, we think, could have been worse poetasters.` 47. The Maid of Arragon. A Tale. By Mrs. Cowley, Part I. 4to. Davis. THIS poem, though much fuperior to the preceding, has one fault in common with it. And ftrange it seems that a lady, who has written fo many English verses, should be a stranger to one of their first principles, viz. that five feet, or ten fyllables, are indifpenfable. "Who knows the fenfe refin'd, the charming agony"6 feet. "For thefe to wretched hearts bloom, fwell, and fertilife in vain"- 7 feet "Now to the hofpitable cares her fate affords"-&c. &c. 6 feet This Spanish or Moorish tale is, however, pathetically told; and we will not anticipate the reader's pleasure by analyfing it, especially as another Part is expected. Annexed are some "Lines in Imitation of [her namefake] Cowley," and "A Monologue" in honour of Chatterton, not an unexceptionable fubject for a female pen, with all due deference to his creative genius. The "Tale" is addreffed "To Mr. Parkhoufe, of Tiverton, Devon," the authorefs's father. 48. Biographical Memoirs of Extraordinary Painters. 8vo, 2s. 6d. Robfon. THOSE connofcenti who expect here a Bellori or a Vafari, a De Piles or a Walpole, will be disappointed. The fix "extraordinary painters" here celebrated never exifted but in the author's brain, as the reader may judge by their names, Aldrovandus Magnus, Andrew Guelph, Og of Bafan, Sucrewaffer of Vienna, Blunderbussiana, and Waterfouchy. Some ridicule on particular characters may perhaps be intended, but the meaning (if any) is much too latent for us to difcover. The failor, |